Family looks to Hospice Hands for help

Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, March 7, 2010

Elena Castillo was a woman who knew she had to take care of her family.

"She was a very strong and dedicated woman to the home," her oldest daughter, Petra Gonzales, said.

Castillo moved to Floydada from South Texas when she was 33. She was a stay-at-home mom who took care of her eight children while her husband, Aurelio, worked.

After Aurelio’s death on Feb. 11, 1969, then 45-year-old Elena found her herself in unfamiliar territory.

She had seven children to care for — six at home and one in the military, Gonzales said.

"She had never worked a day in her life. She had always been a housewife," Gonzales said. "She never drove, never worked outside the home. That month changed her life, and she had to work to provide for her kids."

So Castillo went to work in the fields, Gonzales said, and she continued working there until age 62.

The March following her husband’s death, Castillo reach another milestone.

"I went to her house and she wanted to show me something," Gonzales said. "She picked up a pencil and wrote her name. She had never written her name until daddy died.

"I started crying I was so proud."

Gonzales can remember her mom becoming extremely thrifty, making sure her children used up every bit of lotion in the bottles, and even using baking soda when there wasn’t any toothpaste.

"She dedicated herself to her children. That’s the kind of life she lived," Gonzales said. "She gave all that she could."

When the time came to find someone to take care of their mother, the family turned to Hospice Hands of West Texas.

"There was a time when she was ill for a long time and in and out of the hospital," Gonzales said. "The doctor thought they couldn’t do anything else."

The family had heard about Hospice Hands of West Texas through a friend, and it turned into a two-year relationship.

"In a time when we really needed them, they came and took care of mother," Gonzales said. "We were really grateful that they were willing and had a kind heart. We respected them for the work that they did."

Hospice Hands, founded in 1997 by Rosie Rendon, is celebrating its 13th year.

Rendon, a graduate of Wayland Baptist University and a licensed nursing home administrator, said she saw a need in Floyd County, and so she decided to find a way to fill it.

"I have been in the health care business since I was a young girl and always felt there was a need for this type of service," she said. "The reason why I feel we are unique is because of the people who work with me. Everybody brings a little bit to the organization."

Hospice Hands has 10 full-time and four part-time employees who treat their patients like family.

"We help people live until it’s their time," Rendon said. "We don’t turn anyone down. Even if you don’t have the ability to pay, we still take care of you."

Rendon said Hospice Hands’ logo — featuring a dove and branch — helps keep the organization focused on what is important.

"We need to live everyday with hope and the promise of a better tomorrow," she added.

"There was never a time that we would call that they wouldn’t come," Gonzales said. "It was just a blessing to have these women and this agency be there with us when we needed someone."

Gonzales said Hospice Hands made a difference in her mother’s life during those difficult moments.

"She was always happy to see them," she said.

A dedicated 36-year member of Templo Getsemani Assembly of God Church in Floydada, Castillo was not afraid to die.

"She always talked about going to heaven, asking what we were worried about," Gonzales said. "‘You know where I’m going,’ she would say. That last month or so she would say, ‘I’m ready to go home. I’m not afraid.’

"That was her way of life."

Castillo died July 28, 2009, at her home surrounded by her family.

Her seven surviving children are Petra Gonzales and Aurelio Castillo of Floydada, Cruz and Pedro Castillo of Plainview, Ilda Vasquez of Lubbock, Maria Elena Luna of Seminole and Norma Hernandez of Lamesa. A son, Dario Castillo, preceded her in death.

Hospice Hands of West Texas, located at 305 N. Main Street, provides a wide array of services in homes, hospitals, nursing homes or assisted living centers to an 11-county area.